Baltimore City Building Code, Chapter 37 mandates that all newly constructed, extensively modified non-residential, and specific multi-family residential buildings, that have or will have at least 10,000 square feet of gross floor area, "for which a building permit application is filed on or after July 1, 2009 must achieve a silver-level rating in the appropriate LEED rating system, as certified by the US Green Building Council".

The city code further requires that "the Building Official must issue regulations to administer [this law and that] those regulations must specify: 1. The LEED rating system, and any equivalent energy and environmental design standard, that applies to each type of covered building."

The City has just released the regulations. As the key component of those regulations, the City has developed its own "equivalent" green building standard, based largely upon the LEED 2009 rating standards.

Learn about the nuances of the City's Green Building Standard from the very people who created, developed and will implement the Standards.